ECOLOGICALLY FRIENDLY CONCRETE

Unique and sustainable cement technology

Geopolymer Concrete
Applications and Practical Experiences
Contents
Introduction and definition

Development and history

Examples of the application of geopolymer concretes

Laboratory tests

Tests under production conditions

Summary
 Contents
Introduction and definition

Development and history

Examples of the application of geopolymer concretes

Laboratory tests

Tests under production conditions

Summary

5 BUI Brameshuber + Uebachs INGENIEURE GmbH

Aachen • Germany
 Introduction and definition
The term “geopolymer” goes back to Josef Davidovits.

He describes the reaction of aluminosilicates in alkaline media

under the formation of inorganic polymers.

“Geo” stands for the natural origin.

Fly ashes and/or blast furnace slags which are alkali-activated with
adjusted “activators” are applied as binders.

Application of suitable concrete admixtures.

Except for the binder composition, geopolymer concretes

have the same mix design as general purpose concretes.

6 BUI Brameshuber + Uebachs INGENIEURE GmbH

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 Contents
Introduction and definition

Development and history

Examples of the application of geopolymer concretes

Laboratory tests

Tests under production conditions

Summary

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 Development and history
First reports on alkali-activated blast furnace slags in Russia in the
1930s.

Investigations by Joseph Davidovits in the 1970s.

Different research teams have been investigating this material

for about 20 years.

Increased application of concrete with sulphate-activated blast

furnace slags in Germany at the beginning and in the middle of the
last century (“Thurament”, marketing since 1923).

Especially used for massive structural elements as e. g. in the

construction of locks and dams.

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 Application of supersulfated cement - Weida Dam

Erection: (1949 -1956)

Height of the gravity dam: 32.5 m

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 Application of supersulfated cement - Olef Dam

Concrete mix design

Erection: (1955 - 1959)
Unreinforced coarse vibrated concrete with 30 % of greywacke aggregate with an edge length
of up to 400 mm, supersulfated cement content: 250 kg/m³
Strengthenings of the dam: (1962 - 1965; 1982 - 1985)
Steel reinforced concrete K2, B25/45 with 330 kg/m³ of blast furnace cement HOZ 35 L
10 BUI Brameshuber + Uebachs INGENIEURE GmbH
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 Contents
Introduction and definition

Development and history

Examples of the application of geopolymer concretes

Laboratory tests

Tests under production conditions

Summary

11 BUI Brameshuber + Uebachs INGENIEURE GmbH

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 Application example: TRYDAX Earth Friendly Concrete

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Aachen • Germany
 TRYDAX Earth Friendly Concrete – Wellcamp Airport

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 Contents
Introduction and definition

Development and history

Examples of the application of geopolymer concretes

Laboratory tests

Tests under production conditions

Summary

14 BUI Brameshuber + Uebachs INGENIEURE GmbH

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 Laboratory tests
Characterisation of the raw materials

Development and optimisation of the mix

Mechanical properties

Load-dependent and load-independent deformation

Durability

Environmental compatibility

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 Raw materials and concrete mix design
Material Type Unit Content

Binder Blast furnace slag/fly ash kg/m3 ~ 400

Activators - % by mass 10
w/b - - 0.40

Superplasticiser Powerflow 4101 % by mass 0.5

Rhine gravel and sand
Aggregate kg/m³ ~ 1.700
(16 mm)

Strength class C50/60

Consistency class F3

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 Compressive and splitting tensile strength

compressive strength in MPa tensile splitting strength in MPa

90 6,0

5,5
80
5,0
70
4,5

60 4,0

3,5
50
3,0
40
2,5

30 2,0
specimen: cubes, 150 x 150 x 150 mm³ specimen: cylinders,  = 150 mm, h = 300 mm
storage: L7 (24 h in mould at 100 % relative humidity, 6 days 1,5 storage: W (24 h in mould at 100 % relative humidity,
20
in water at 20 C, afterwards at 20 C and 65 % afterwards in water at 20 C)
relative humidity) 1,0 w/b: 0.38
10 w/b: 0.38 max. grain size: 16 mm
max. grain size: 16 mm 0,5

0 0,0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400

age in d age in d

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 Creep and shrinkage
Length change in mm/m
2,4
2,2 Start of measurement at an age of 7 d
2,0
1,8 Total deformation
1,6 ec
1,4
1,2
1,0
Creep deformation
0,8 ecc
0,6
0,4
0,2 Shrinkage deformation ecs
0,0
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 210 240 270 300 330 360
Age in d

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 Carbonation
carbonation depth in mm carbonation depth in mm
12 12
concrete (max. 16 mm) concrete (max. 16 mm)

10 7 d water curing 10 28 d water curing

8 8

y = 0.206x + 1.193
6 6 R² = 0.727

4 y = 0.119x + 0.342 4
y: carbonation depth R² = 0.682
x: √t
2 2
y: carbonation depth
x: √t
0 0
0 14 28 56 98 140 365 0 14 28 56 98 140 365
time of main storage in d time of main storage in d
carbonation depth in mm carbonation depth in mm
12 12
concrete (max. 16 mm) concrete (max. 16 mm)

10 7 d curing in foil 10 without curing

(only 1 d in the form work)

8 8

6 6

4 4

y: carbonation depth y = 0.041x + 0.265

2 2
y: carbonation depth y = 0.026x - 0.170 x: √t R² = 0.293
x: √t R² = 0.821
0 0
0 14 28 56 98 140 365 0 14 28 56 98 140 365
19 time of main storage in d time of main +
BUI Brameshuber storage in dINGENIEURE GmbH
Uebachs
Aachen • Germany
 Sulphate test
Test according
Method for theto the SVA test
Evaluation of themethod
Sulphate Resistance of Concrete in Germany
SVA-Method *
Test Setup Test Conditions
Mortar composition: Cement (+ FA): 450 g
mix design of the mortar: Sand
cement + fly1350
(0/2 mm): ash:g 450 g
m

sand (0/2 mm):

Water: 225g 1350 g
m
0
16

water:
w/(c+f) = 0.50 225 g
w/(c+f) = 0.50
40 mm

NaSO
Na 2SO 4-solution
2 4 -solution
3,000 mg/l SO42- 2- Pre-storage period:
curing time: 14 d (28 d for14d (28dconcretes)
mass for mass concretes)
(30 000 mg/l SO2-4 )
30,000 mg/l SO4 Pre-storage temperature:
curing temperature: 20°C 20 C
10 mm
mortar
Mortar bars
prisms for testing
to examine the the
dynamic
dynamic modulus
modulus of elasticty
of elasticity volumevolume/volume
Solution of solution / of
volume
mortar of mortar bars:
prisms: 3-5 3 to 5
mortar
Mortar barsto
prisms for extension
measure measurings
the elongation storage
Storage temperatures: 5°C and 20°C
temperature: 5 C und 20 C

tests: extension
Test: and dyn.
Elongation and modulus of elasticity
dynamic modulus of elasticity
after 0,after
14, 0,
28,14,
56, 90 and 180 d ofdays
storage
m

28, 56, 90 and 180

m
0
16

Test
testcriterion:
criterion:Elongation
less thandifference
0.5 mm/m between mortar difference
extension prisms which
were
between the mortar bars stored inisthe
stored in the two different solutions smaller
40 mm

two
than 0.5 mm/m after
solutions after 90 d90d
10 mm
saturated
gesättigte Ca(OH) -solution
Ca(OH)22-Lösung (forVergleich)
(zum comparison)

* SVA-Method: Test method of the expert-committee of the German Institute of Construction Engineering (DIBt, Deutsches Institut für Bautechnik)

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 Sulphate resistance – elongation difference
expansion compared to reference in mm/m
0,50
sulfate solultion 30,000 mg/l and 20°C

0,40 sulfate solution 30,000 mg/l and 5°C

sulfate solution 3,000 mg/l and 20°C

0,30 sulafet solution 3,000 mg/l and 5°C

0,20

0,10

0,00

-0,10
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
storage time in d

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 Freeze-thaw resistance
scalling [g/m²] rel. dynamic modulus of elasticity [%]
1.200 120

requirement BAW for CIF-Test:1.000 g/m²

1.000 100

800 80

requirement BAW for CIF-Test > 75 %

600 60

400 40

200 20

0 0
0 7 14 21 28 0 7 14 21 28

number of freeze-thaw cycles number of freeze-thaw cycles

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 Release of chromium and barium in the tank test

Cr release in mg/m² Ba release in mg/m²

7,0 80
GP GP
6,0 CEM I 70 CEM I

60
5,0
50
4,0
40
3,0
30
2,0
20

1,0 10

0,0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
time in d time in d

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 Practical application: Manufacturing of segmental linings

2 Segmental linings made of general

purpose concrete (specimen series A and B)

1 Segmental lining made of geopolymer

concrete

Only difference in the binder composition

Testing of separately manufactured test

specimens (series G)
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 Casting of segmental lining made of geopolymer concrete

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 Demoulding of the geopolymer concrete segmental lining

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 Extraction of the test specimens

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Acid resistance exposure tests

BUI Brameshuber + Uebachs INGENIEURE GmbH

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 Compressive, tensile and splitting tensile strength

General purpose Geopolymer

Test concrete concrete
[N/mm²]

Compressive
85.7 73.9
strength cube 28d

Compressive
82.5 60.2
strength cylinder 28d

Tensile strength 5.18 -

Splitting tensile
- 6.06
strength

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 4-Point bending test

according to DAfStb guideline, 2012

Number
Test specimen
G A B
Beam
6 3 3
150 x 150 x 700 mm3

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4-Point bending test general purpose concrete
Kraft in kN Kraft in kN
80 80
70 G13 70 A28
G14 A29
60 60
G15 A30
50 50
G16 B28
40 G17
40 B29
30 G18 30 B30

20 20
10 10
0 0
0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4 0 0,5 1 1,5 2 2,5 3 3,5 4
Durchbiegung in mm Durchbiegung in mm
Results series G Results series A and B

Performance class Fibre class

Series
L1 L2 FI FII
G 3.0 0.6 2.0 1.6
A 3.0 0.6 2.0 1.4
B 0.9 0.0 0.6 0.4

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 4-Point bending test geopolymer concrete
Kraft in kN
80
Mix 9 - Nr. 13
Mix 9 - Nr. 14
70 Mix 9 - Nr. 15
Mix 9 - Nr. 16
60 Mix 9 - Nr. 17
Mix 9 - Nr. 18
50

40

30

20

10

0
0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 4,0
Durchbiegung in mm

Performance class
Series
L1 L2
G 3.0 1.8
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 Casting of self-compacting geopolymer concrete

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 Exposed surface of the geopolymer concrete

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 TRYDAX-EFC (Earth Friendly Concrete) fiber C plates and fiber C facade panels

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 Contents
Introduction and definition

Development and history

Examples of the application of geopolymer concretes

Laboratory tests

Tests under production conditions

Summary

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 Summary
The specific practical application of geopolymer concretes is
possible.

Geopolymer concrete features similar properties as general

purpose concrete.

Geopolymer concrete features a high sulphate and acid resistance

as well as a low hydration heat.

A compared to the application of CEM I, a reduction of the

CO2-emission by 70 to 90 % is possible.

Particularly suited for mass concretes and for special applications

in underground construction as well as for concrete pipes.

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 THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CONTACT

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